Publication Date
11-1993
Advisor(s) - Committee Chair
Karen Schneider, Elizabeth Oakes, Pat Carr
Degree Program
Department of English
Degree Type
Master of Arts
Abstract
Ursula K. Le Guin uses dark and light imagery to emphasize her theme of dynamic equilibrium. This theme can be found throughout her work; the novels discussed are The Left Hand of Darkness, The Lathe of Heaven, The Dispossessed, and The Beginning Place. In each novel, Le Guin focuses on a different aspect of dynamic equilibrium. The themes are respectively, gender identity, chaos and order, and the individual versus the community. The final novel, The Beginning Place, unites and sums up all three themes. In each novel, one or more main characters suffers from imbalance that reflects the theme of the novel. Throughout the course of the novel, the character learns to find balance, thus resolving the issues that Le Guin discusses.
Disciplines
English Language and Literature | Literature in English, North America
Recommended Citation
Keister, Patricia Lynn, "The Right Hand of Light: Dark and Light Imagery in the Science Fiction of Ursula K. Le Guin" (1993). Masters Theses & Specialist Projects. Paper 1754.
https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/1754